The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has expressed concern over the rising cost of food items across the country, attributing the trend to the proliferation of security checkpoints, illegal levies, and poor infrastructure.
The governors made this known in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting held on Wednesday night in Abuja. The communiqué was signed by the NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and read by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu said the Forum received a joint presentation from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, alongside the Ministers of Defence, Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Transportation.
According to him, the officials highlighted the negative impact of multiple roadblocks and unapproved taxes on food transportation and pricing across the federation.
“The presentation revealed that the proliferation of checkpoints, illegal taxation, and poor infrastructure are key contributors to price inflation and inefficiencies in the food supply chain,” he said.
He added that the NSA informed the Forum of a high-level inter-ministerial committee established to address the issue, which had submitted its recommendations for endorsement.
Sanwo-Olu said the governors recognised the urgency of the situation and resolved to work with the Federal Government to streamline levies, dismantle unauthorised checkpoints, and improve the interstate movement of goods.
The forum also deliberated on the status of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the World Bank had briefed the governors on the programme’s progress, noting that states made cumulative investments of over 2.2 billion U.S. dollars, impacting more than 17 million direct beneficiaries.
However, he said the governors expressed concern over the Bank’s failure to honour its funding commitments under NG-CARES 1.0.
“The forum emphasized the need for an amicable resolution between the World Bank and participating states to conclude the first phase of the programme before transitioning to NG-CARES 2.0, which is expected to build long-term resilience for vulnerable households and enterprises,” he said.
Governors in attendance included those of Kwara, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Oyo, Imo, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Osun, Plateau, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Kogi, Ondo, Cross River, Ogun, and Edo.
The Forum reaffirmed its commitment to tackling issues affecting Nigerians’ welfare and pledged to continue engaging relevant stakeholders for effective solutions.
